Optical disk container with writing tool holding device

ABSTRACT

An optical disk container with writing tool holding device mainly includes a base having a stem upward extended from a central thereof, and a writing tool holding device having a central through hole, through which the stem of the base is extended to hold the writing tool holding device to the base. The writing tool holding device is provided at one side with at least one receiving section, in each of which a writing tool is received.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an optical disk container with writingtool holding device, and more particularly to an optical disk containerthat allows not only storage of optical disks therein but also holdingof a writing tool, so that the writing tool may be conveniently held inthe optical disk container and quickly accessed for marking an opticaldisk.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An optical disk is a currently widely employed recording medium forstoring digitalized data of music, software, images, etc., and mayinclude audio or music compact disk (CD), video compact disk (VCD), anddigital versatile disk (DVD). For simplicity, the phrase “optical disk”will be used throughout this document to generally refer to CD, VCD, andDVD at the same time. Generally speaking, when an optical disk is not inuse, it must be properly stored in a container to avoid contaminationthat would possibly result in failure of reading of the optical disk bya computer.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional optical diskcontainer 10 that mainly includes a base 11 and a cover 12. The base 11is substantially in the form of a round plate and has a stem 110 upwardprojected from a center of the base 11.

A plurality of optical disks 20, each of which typically includes acentral hole 210, may be sequentially stacked on the base 11 with thestem 110 of the base 11 upward extended through the central holes 210 ofthe optical disks 20. The cover 12 is substantially a hollow cylindricalmember adapted to fitly close onto the base 11. The cover 12 and thebase 11 may be firmly connected with one another through engagement ofradially outward extended retaining plates 120 provided along a lowerrim of the cover 12 with a plurality of catches 111 provided along aperipheral edge of the base 11.

Most conventional optical disk containers, such as that disclosed inTaiwanese Patent Publication No. 529605 and that described withreference to FIG. 1, provide only one single function of storing opticaldisks therein. On the other hand, it is often necessary to mark someinformation on a surface of the optical disk to conveniently identifythe optical disk in the future. However, the conventional optical diskcontainers do not include any means for holding a writing tool, withwhich a user may quickly make any necessary mark on the optical disk,and therefore fail to satisfy general consumers' need in this aspect. Itis therefore desirable to develop an improved optical disk containerthat can overcome the drawback existed in the conventional optical diskcontainers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an optical diskcontainer with writing tool holding device, so that the optical diskcontainer could store not only optical disks but also a writing tool formarking the optical disks conveniently.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a writing toolholding structure for use in an optical disk container, so that awriting tool could always be conveniently held in the optical diskcontainer without being arbitrarily positioned here and there.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present inventionto achieve the above and other objects can be best understood byreferring to the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional optical diskcontainer;

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of an optical disk containeraccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the optical disk container ofFIG. 2 with a writing tool holding device according to a first preferredembodiment thereof;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the optical disk container ofFIG. 2 with a writing tool holding device according to a secondpreferred embodiment thereof;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the optical disk container ofFIG. 2 with a writing tool holding device according to a third preferredembodiment thereof;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the optical disk container ofFIG. 2 with a writing tool holding device according to a fourthpreferred embodiment thereof;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the optical disk container ofFIG. 2 with a writing tool holding device according to a fifth preferredembodiment thereof; and

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the optical disk container ofFIG. 2 with a writing tool holding device according to a sixth preferredembodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3, in which an optical disk container withwriting tool holding device according to a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention is shown. As shown, the optical disk container, whichis generally denoted with a reference numeral of 3, includes at least abase 31, a cover 32, and a writing tool holding device 33. The base 31is provided at a center with an upward projected stem 310. An opticaldisk 4 provided with a central hole 41 may be safely positioned on thebase 31 with the stem 310 of the base 31 extended through the centralhole 41 of the optical disk 4.

The writing tool holding device 33 is designed for holding one or more s5 in the optical disk container 3, and provided at a center with athrough hole 331, via which the stem 310 of the base 31 may be extended.The writing tool holding device 33 is also provided at one side with atleast one receiving section 332 for receiving one writing tool 5therein. In a feasible embodiment of the present invention, each of theat least one receiving section 332 is provided at an outer edge at apredetermined position with at least one upward projected retainingbracket 3321, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, or at least one inwardprojected retaining lug 3322, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. With the atleast one retaining bracket 3321 or the at least one retaining lug 3322,the writing tool 5 may be stably held in the at least one receivingsection 332. In another feasible embodiment of the present invention,the at least one receiving section 332 is in the form of an open-toppedrecess, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. The present invention may furtherincludes a cap 6 (not shown in FIGS. 3 to 7) to locate above the writingtool holding device 33, so that the at least one writing tool 5 is notonly protected against dust but also undesired separation from the atleast one receiving section 332 due to any excessive vibration of theoptical disk container 3. In a further feasible embodiment of thepresent invention as shown in FIG. 8, the writing tool holding device 33is provided along an outer periphery with at least one clamping means3323 for firmly clamping the above-mentioned cap 6 to a top of thewriting tool holding device 33.

The cover 32 is adapted to fitly close onto the base 31. As can beclearly seen from the illustrated figures, the cover 32 is providedalong a lower rim with a plurality of radially outward extendedretaining plates 321, and the base 31 is correspondingly provided alonga circumferential edge with a plurality of upward extended catches 311.The cover 32 may be firmly held to a top of the base 31 simply byengaging the retaining plates 321 with the catches 311.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodimentsthereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in thedescribed embodiments can be carried out without departing from thescope and the spirit of the invention. For example, the cap 6 may beattached to the top of the writing tool holding device 33 using adhesivemeans; or, the writing tool holding device 33 may have either the sideprovided with the at least one receiving section 332 or the oppositeside without the receiving section 332 faced toward the base 31. Anyequivalent function or effect generated from such changes andmodifications shall be included in the scope of the present inventionthat is to be limited only by the appended claims.

1. An optical disk container with writing tool holding device,comprising a base having a stem upward extended from a center of saidbase, and a writing tool holding device having a central through holeand adapted to locate in said optical disk container above said basewith said stem of said base extended through said central through hole;and said writing tool holding device being provided at one side with atleast one receiving section for each receiving a writing tool therein.2. The optical disk container with writing tool holding device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one receiving section isprovided at an outer edge with at least one retaining bracket.
 3. Theoptical disk container with writing tool holding device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said at least one receiving section is an open-toppedrecess.
 4. The optical disk container with writing tool holding deviceas claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one receiving section isprovided at an outer edge with at least one inward projected retaininglug.
 5. The optical disk container with writing tool holding device asclaimed in claim 3, further comprising a cap for attaching to a top ofsaid writing tool holding device.
 6. The optical disk container withwriting tool holding device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising acap for attaching to a top of said writing tool holding device.
 7. Theoptical disk container with writing tool holding device as claimed inclaim 3, wherein said writing tool holding device is provided along anouter periphery with at least one clamping means for clamping a cap to atop of said writing tool holding device.
 8. The optical disk containerwith writing tool holding device as claimed in claim 4, wherein saidwriting tool holding device is provided along an outer periphery with atleast one clamping means for clamping a cap to a top of said writingtool holding device.
 9. The optical disk container with writing toolholding device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cover adaptedto fitly close onto said base.